


Red Isn't Your Color

by LordTraco



Series: Not Your Color [1]
Category: Puyo Puyo (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Loss of arm, Making This Up As I Go, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, References to Puyo Puyo Tetris Act 9 and Sig's Secret, Teen Rating for Schezo saying words
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-09-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:46:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25534588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LordTraco/pseuds/LordTraco
Summary: What if Schezo worked with Sig to relocate his bug collection?What if Amitie learned just how badly she messed up when letting Schezo know where to find Sig?What if Sig lost quite a bit of red?
Relationships: Amitie/Sig (Puyo Puyo)
Series: Not Your Color [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1878607
Comments: 44
Kudos: 76





	1. Ruinous

**Author's Note:**

> No blood or Sigami in chapter 1, just some good old introspection, a dash of canon, and a heavy whopping slice of angst. 
> 
> I planned to write this ever since finishing act 9 a couple days ago, but the lovely work of CherryBerryKomainu inspired me to write it now so I could get to the later hurt/comfort and fluffy parts. I can't recommend their fics enough!

Sig stared at the ruins. He remembered going there half in a daze, half fighting for his life against a power he couldn’t stop. Sometimes he went here to wonder about his existence, sometimes he came here to be reminded of the time his friend came to his rescue, but most of the time he came here to see if there were new bugs around. He had priorities after all.

For a moment he considered just… giving up his arm. Giving up the power that once took him over. He couldn’t, not for his bugs’ sake, but… No, he couldn’t do that. 

He stared at the entrance, tempted to go hide behind those trial doors again and hope that the swordsman chasing him would leave him alone. Something stopped him. He didn’t like it in there. He didn’t like remembering that day, at least not up to the point Amitie came to save him. Maybe she would again? Maybe she’d beat Schezo and he’d be free?

He just started to calm down at the thought when a familiar dark blade caught his vision. “I can’t believe you came,” he said, and he couldn’t. He’d reached out to Amitie to help and she hadn’t? No, she must have. She must have lost. 

An emotion he didn’t care to put a name to flared in his gut at the thought of this man hurting his friend. She would have given her all if they’d fought and to think of this relentlessly strange guy besting her… He wanted to hurt Schezo. He really did.

And so they battled, but that emotion blinded Sig. He didn’t think about chains or building up for a tetris, he just fought to clear his board and hit as many times as he could. It wasn’t a good strategy, but to his defense, he usually didn’t feel like his stomach was on fire and prefer to be punching someone than playing Puyo Puyo or Tetris.

“Now show me that left hand! It belongs to me now!!” Schezo screamed. At least the burning in Sig’s gut went away, but now there was an emptiness there.

“Well… if it’s going to be taken from me… at least let me say goodbye.” Sig sighed, “My bug friends will need a new home now.”

“Bugs…?” Schezo tried to be prepared for everything, but this? No he was not prepared for this reveal. As Sig disappointedly, no, almost mournfully listed off and said goodbye to his little bug family, something stirred in Schezo. And it wasn’t just his dislike of the insects.

“I-I didn’t know you had a family of bugs taking refuge in your hand.” How does that even? Work? Schezo was admittedly curious.

“Well it’s YOUR hand now…”

He said something else, but Schezo wasn’t listening at this point. “Wait, I don’t LIKE bugs! Look, let’s work this out.”

“Work this out?”

“Yes! There has to be a way to relocate your er- Bug family to a new home, right? Perhaps your bag?”

“I keep my school supplies in there.”

“Then perhaps a new bag! That way I am not a total home-wrecker.”

“I guess, but it’d need air holes and warmth. And food in there too.” Sig looked a tad more relieved. Or at least he was back to being more monotone, which was probably the same thing to him if Schezo thought about it.

“Right! Well, I shall uncover myself to fix this mess!” Schezo said boldly.

“What.”

“My cape, though dear to me, holds no power. Perhaps if we sling it up like this, it can be a new home for your bugs.” Schezo took his cape off, noting the weird look Sig was giving him. People were always so weird when all he did was say words. “Now I believe if I were to cut it in this way and braid the edges together like so…”

“It looks like a weird blue bag.”

“Which will go better with your attire than a red arm, don’t you think?” Schezo asked. He was no fashion expert, but red and blue never did seem to go well together.

“I guess. We’ll need to find some honey if we want to attract them to this as their new home.”

“And where might we find honey?” Schezo found himself excited. Today had been long and tiring, and while bugs were not his thing, this definitely beat chasing after a kid and being called a creeper.

“I saw a nest a little ways back that was attacked by something. Some of the honey should still be on the tree. I do want to check how they’re recovering.” Where before he only noted fear and annoyance and perhaps anger from this kid, Schezo now noticed true joy when talking about the insects.

Perhaps it was a little like his adoration for cute things? Regardless, stay on the mission. 

The trek had a couple detours because Sig kept wandering off the path whenever he found an insect. Schezo had never noticed or wanted to notice exactly how many creepy-crawly-bugs were around these woods, but seeing genuine joy in this kid’s face whenever they showed up? It made it halfway worth it. Some part of him figured this feeling of vicarious joy could be why some made families and raised kids. It wasn’t for him, obviously, but he understood it just a tad better.

Ok the trek had a lot of detours, they had still yet to find the honey. However they did reach an apple tree. Rotten fruit littered the ground around it.

“This could work.” Sig said, lifting up an apple that was far too mushy and far too brown. It didn’t seem to phase him. He brought his right hand holding the apple towards his left hand. Slowly, a lot of bugs came to the apple. “It’s working.”

Schezo opened up the bag, wincing as the bugs crawled over the rancid fruit. Sig dropped it in carefully and they both peered inside to check the insects were ok. “All accounted for. I think they’ll be ok.” Sig said, relief flowing out of him in waves.

Schezo took a look at the kid, teen, whatever. He had spent a long time chasing him and almost a longer time wandering around with him in search of appropriate bug bait. Perhaps it was best to leave this kid alone, let him run around and chase bugs. He clearly had a lot of friends willing to help him who would be very sad if he were to be hurt…

But Schezo sensed that power again. 

It was irresistible. 

So he put the bag down carefully and in one swift motion cut Sig’s red arm clean off.

He tried to think of a witty remark, but Sig’s scream of anguish took away any need for that. He should probably run now.


	2. Hands and Heartbeats

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Blood and wound cauterization warning. Lots of pain for poor Sig. Both physically and emotionally. But don't worry Amitie is also there to join in the emotional pain! Wait that doesn't help, does it? Send in Arle and Ringo!!

Amitie was at the ruins, searching high and low for Sig. He told her he would go hide there from Schezo. Surely he wouldn’t have lied to her, right? Or did he lie so she wouldn’t be able to give away his location like she did? Did he have so little faith in her? She wasn’t sure what would hurt worse, honestly.

She looked to the ruins where Ringo, Arle, Carbuncle, and her had gone in to save Sig, passing the trials to get to where he was. If he was hiding in there, could she get there all on her own? It had taken Carbuncle’s power to get through the first and Ringo’s smarts to get through the second. Even the last trial that she bested was thanks entirely to her friends backing her up…

She shook her head. There was no use thinking that. If they really were in there, she’d see Sig when he came out. He was definitely there, she just had to be patient.

_**“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH”** _

That was. That was Sig’s voice. Amitie whipped her head around in the direction of the noise so fast her neck felt sore. 

Something was wrong. Something was deathly wrong. 

“ _ I just want to ask him for his hand _ ” the words played in her head as she ran. Schezo was weird, but he’d wanted her hat once, hadn’t he? If Sig was running from him, if Schezo was being literal, couldn’t that scream mean…

Tears blurred her vision, the scream hadn’t ended. It paused and turned to a cry of anguish, a cry of suffering. Sig was in pain, and she pushed every muscle she could to the limit to get to him faster.

When she arrived, it was a horror scene. Red everywhere. She saw his right hand red and panicked for a moment almost believing he had once again been taken over. In the second of hesitation, the realization that donned on her was worse.

His right hand was red because he was trying to stop the blood. His entire left arm was gone. She felt faint, but rushed forward to help. 

“Sig, I’m here!” She yelled to get past his screams. She knew she’d never heard him be this loud, and it scared her. When she nearly stepped on something blue, however, he lunged at her, his eyes a blur of icy blue. 

She ended up on the ground, tackled by a suddenly quiet bleeding out Sig with two blue eyes. To say she was confused and startled was an understatement, but when she glanced back to the blue bag, she saw a glimpse of a horned beetle peeking out of it. Leave it to Sig to protect bugs even in this situation.

“Sig, the bugs are safe, let me help you.” -even though I couldn’t before, she wanted to add, but refrained. 

“Amitie.” Sig only said her name, letting go of her shoulder that he’d pushed in favor of grabbing at his wound again. 

“Let me help.” She gently pushed herself up, using her other hand to steady him so they could both sit properly facing one another. The wound looked bad, really bad. She remembered one way to close a wound in a time like this and gulped.

She got closer to Sig again, pulling him to lean his head on her shoulder, exposing his wound again. She shivered, the reality of her plan weighing on her.

"Sig?" She asked right in his ear.

"Mmh?" He sounded so weak…

"Do you trust me? This will hurt."

He made a noise and nodded weakly into her shoulder. He was going numb to the pain and it felt nice to be with his friend.

"Fireball." He heard the words as if they were far away, but was immediately brought back to reality by the searing pain erupting from his shoulder. It felt like it lasted forever, yet was over in an instant. He sucked in a ragged breath, noting the ringing in his ears.

Oh he had screamed again. 

"Fireball," The word was closer this time and sounded laced with guilt and fear.

Another second of agony. He noticed it was harder to breathe through the wet clothing he was pressed into. He must have been crying pretty hard. 

He braced for a third time, not daring to breathe when the pain subsided. It didn't come, not for one second, not for two, not three.

He gulped in some air and wailed again, pressing hard into the shuddering warmth in front of him in hopes of muffling himself. He didn't like being loud. It scared the bugs.

Amitie held him, sobbing quietly. She tried to stop trembling, knowing too much movement could mean having to cauterize the wound a third time. She couldn't do it a third time. She would rather rip up her hat and never play Puyo Puyo again than ever cause Sig pain like that again.

"I heard it over here!" Amitie heard Ringo's voice coming closer. Thank Puyo. She'd know what to do! 

Amitie closed her eyes, calming down some. The smell of blood and burnt skin contrasted with the sweetly rotting apples in the clearing. She told herself that it was the smell of life despite it all. Sig would agree. The rotting fruit was bug food, the blood was plant food, and the burn was her desire to keep him alive. 

"SIG! AMITIE!!!" Amitie opened her eyes. As much as she wanted to let her friends handle things from here, the idea of being separated from Sig, of not hearing his heartbeat, was not something she would bear.

"Don't step on the bag, his bugs are in there."

"What happened?!?" Arle was here too, thank goodness!

"He lost his arm… and I think he lost it to Schezo." Amitie watched Arle, knowing that while none of them really cared for Schezo, Arle did at least find him to be a semi-reliable resource at times. An ally on occasion. To tell her that such a person caused this much damage…

Arle huffed, glaring into the trees. There was conflict in her facial expression, some guilt Amitie knew all too well. If they had beaten him or kept him away from Sig from the beginning, they might have stopped this.

"I will beat that creeper later" Arle said through clenched teeth.

"Guuuu…" Carbuncle looked just as upset.

"Yes, because right now we need to get Sig home. Can you carry him, Amitie?" Ringo asked, smartly noting Amitie's tight grip on their friend. "I can help you up?"

"I've got him, just help me up." 

The moment she stood, she felt the tingle of blood flow returning to her legs. Those pins and needles hurt, but she faced the pain like it was nothing.

"Did you cauterize the wound?" Ringo asked, trying to distract her friend from looking at the passed out Sig in her arms. The second she saw Amitie's expression of pained guilt she quickly continued, "Because that was really smart thinking! It's going to keep him safe from further danger on the trip back!"

"I've got his bugs, nobody worry." Arle said, catching up with the other two. 

The walk back was uncharacteristically silent for the three. Amitie did have to stop on occasion, and it only took one glare to tell Ringo that a stretcher was out of the question and Arle that she wasn’t giving him to her to carry. His heartbeat was the only thing keeping her going. It was her only reminder that this wasn’t her fault, that he wasn’t dead because of her.

“Amitie?” Ringo asked when they were in sight of the school. 

“Hm?” 

“You know we’re here for you, right?” Ringo asked, scanning her face. Amitie hadn’t smiled, and it worried her. “Everything will work out and we are here for you.” There was a desperation in her look. A plea not to give up. 

It was the look she had given Tee when he offered to take over as Keeper of Dimensions.

Amitie was lost as to why she would be given such a look until it dawned on her. Her friends were worried she’d be lost to guilt after this. Feeling the frown on her face… she guessed it was a possibility.

She tried to give a small smile. “I know. I’m here for you all too.” That was all it took for the other two to give relieved smiles. She wished it was as easy to give herself relief, but she wouldn’t get that until Sig woke up.

...

When they got to the school it was a rush. As much as Amitie tried to keep a hold on Sig, she was weak from the run to him and carrying him all the way back. Her limbs felt like jelly and she was exhausted physically and emotionally.

But when he was ripped out of her weak grasp, she crumbled to the floor, caught by Arle and Ringo. She sobbed into their embrace, until she felt she had no more tears left.

…………

Amitie stayed by Sig’s bedside despite being told to rest. Eventually they let her be. As soon as she was alone with him, the little blue thing that came out of his back was out, smiling weakly at her. She waved to it sometimes and it smiled brighter. She wasn’t sure what it meant, but hoped it meant Sig was ok. 

She wasn’t sure when she dozed off into her arms on the side of his bed, but she did.

.

Sig awoke slowly. He first heard the beeps of the equipment in the room, then someone calling his name. It was a while before he could properly get his eyelids to open, and an even longer while to make sense of what he was seeing. This was no longer the forest. Unless the forest got really light out. And had beds.

Definitely not the forest. Hospital, that was the word. 

He looked for who was calling his name. Amitie was at his bedside, sobbing with closed eyes as if dreaming. He tried to reach out to her, to pat her head gently with his left hand, making note as always to be careful of his claws but…

Nothing moved. Right. His left hand was gone. He wished she was on the other side so he could reach her without turning. Something told him twisting would hurt.

“Sig… please don’t die. I can’t lose you. Please.” Amitie whispered just loud enough through her quiet sobs to be heard. 

To heck if it hurt, he twisted to press his hand gently to her head. He meant to pat her shoulder so as not to touch her beloved hat, but with the pain exploding in his side, Sig wasn’t about to press his luck. 

She moved, then shot up as he pulled his hand away. “W-what?”

“Hi Amitie.” It was all he could think to say. 

“Sig you’re awake, thank puyo.” She said, staring into his blue eyes. It unnerved her quite a bit to see his eyes matching. It reminded her of the time they were both red.

“This hurts.” He leaned back, looking at the ceiling. He was in too much pain to try and sit up anymore or twist again. However, the heavy silence that greeted him made him worry. “Amitie?” 

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault he found you, Sig.”

“I faced him because I thought he might’ve hurt you.” Huh, he was more honest than he usually was. Usually he’d feel like saying less, but right now, he wanted to say everything. He wanted her to truly know how he felt. “I don’t blame you for any of this.”

“You should.” Her voice was heavy like slime and he didn’t like it one bit.

“Come closer and say that again.” 

She came closer, standing beside his bed now in his line of sight again. Her gaze was angry and downcast as he’d never seen before. “You should blame me. I let it slip where you-”

He lightly tossed his other arm over to poke her lightly in the belly, the only spot he could reach without twisting again. “Bad, try again.”

“You-” poke “You sho-” poke “Y-” poke “I-I… I’m sorry I let it slip where you were. I don’t feel worthy of your forgiveness.” She awaited another poke.

“You were the one who stopped it from bleeding. You saved me. Again.” He saw tears welling up in her eyes and noted the stains that were already on her face like she hadn’t stopped crying. Sig felt his heart drop that this had caused her so much grief.

“I had to hurt you, Sig. I held you in my arms and made you cry as I burned you. There was no guarantee it would have even worked and I could have been worsening your condition for nothing and… and… and we could have gotten you help faster if I hadn’t been so stubborn about holding you. But I was so sure the second you were out of my arms you would just die. I nearly let my love kill you.”

Sig’s mind went blank a moment trying to process a single word in that speech. He saw the realization hit Amitie like a ton of puyos as well. She went red in the face and covered her mouth.

Poke. 

“I think I’m immune to death by love, or else your smile woulda killed me long ago.” He was waxing poetic now, but he didn’t want her thinking this was unrequited and sadly he couldn’t move to express it in action the way he would prefer to. Did he prefer to? Things were confusing right now and his words kept coming out easier than he thought they would.

“S-sig?”

Sig paused a moment, looking at the ceiling. Was this the emotions of barely surviving that were changing him? Was it the blood loss? Was it the fact she’d slipped up and said it first? Was it the loss of his weird red arm? 

Was it ok to say it if any of those things were the reason? Was it fair to Amitie to reciprocate her feelings if he was now different? Would it be fair to her to confess to her while impaired by bloodloss and adrenaline? 

She put a gentle hand to his chest, just resting it there comfortingly. He put his hand over hers and closed his eyes as she laced her fingers in his. He knew she was feeling his heartbeat from both his chest and their entwined fingers. It was comforting for her to have reinforced proof he was alive and well. 

As for Sig? Well he was just happy to have someone there with him in this scary time. Wait. He froze, tightening his fingers suddenly. “My bug-”

“They’re at the end of the bed. We had to convince the nurses it was ok to bring in, but they’re all here.” He strained his neck downward to see a bloodstained bag.

For some reason that hit him hard. He really had been bleeding out. He had actually been close to death from this. Sig’s heartrate skyrocketed and his breathing shortened to quick gasps. He clutched Amitie’s hand tight and tried to reach for it with his other, but it wasn’t there. It wasn’t there. His arm was gone and it just wasn’t there and he’d nearly been left for dead. He’d had a fun little adventure looking for bug food with a man who cut his arm off and left him for dead and he could have died if Amitie hadn’t found him. 

Some part of him was annoyed that all of this was hitting now of all times. He’d known all of this the moment he woke up, why was it only scaring him now?? 

He was crying again and he felt Amitie try to pull away and keened. “Please. Don’t-go.” He said softly, too afraid to calm down. It came back to him in a rush, the sudden pain, the loss of sight in his left eye, the strained vocal chords as he screamed with everything he had. He didn’t even know if he was screaming for help, though apparently it did help get him some aid. The agony, the weakness, the feeling he was going to die. 

His insect family had been there, but if they’d been trying to comfort him, he had been blind to it. Then Amitie came and asked if he trusted her, only to worsen his pain threefold. Twice. 

He knew it had to be done, he knew it now. He forgave her now. Of course he did. Of course he did, but she’d done that. She had that kind of power in her hand. She could do it again.

She could do it again.

He let go of Amitie’s hand as the nurses rushed in to check on him. Soon he drifted off back to sleep, hoping he could wake up to her again and forget that he feared her now. He’d really like to forget that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK I'm a little torn on where to go from here. So it's up to you. Do you want to see how Schezo is doing or keep with Sig and Amitie? Place your votes now as I work on my other angst fic!


	3. Waking to Welcomes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sig wakes up and Amitie is gone. Thankfully, his other friends are there to keep his spirits up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to Smashkirby for making me consider tossing in a bunch of other characters! This chapter took a while because I kept looking through the wiki and youtube videos to do them justice (and getting distracted of course). Also a big thank you to everyone in the SigAmi discord for making me feel so welcome and fueling my drive to write!

When he awoke again, it was to an empty room. Sig looked around, partly hoping to see a familiar red Puyo hat at the edge of his bed again. When he didn't, he told himself he was ok, he told himself he wanted her to be off getting a decent rest, maybe cheering up a little with their other friends.

When tears ran down his face, he tried to brush them away, cursing himself for again forgetting his arm was gone. He hadn't noticed how often he used that hand.

A soft flutter in his hair made him look up. Ah, his ladybug. He held up an arm for her to hop to, smiling gently when she began to clean her wings with her legs. She usually did that when he was feeling down, showing off those wings shimmering golden in the reflected light. These wings were typically hidden beneath red.

He chuckled a little. Light yellow beneath red. Like Amitie's hair under her signature hat. He hadn't really put the two together until now.

"BUT IT'S FOR SCIENCE," came an almost booming voice from the hallway. Was that that bear guy Maguro and Ringo hung around with sometimes? Sig had never caught his name, he was really loud.

"Ris, you can't just 'science' him up an arm!" Ahh, there was Ringo's voice. Though, admittedly, Sig could mistake any voice of reason as being from Ringo. 

"He's going to miss out on beauty rest if all of you don't stop arguing outside his door, now shoo!" Now that one surprised him. Not that Raffina wasn't a friend, but she was usually in arguments, not stopping them.

He watched as the door opened and the pink-haired girl walked in. It was hard to miss the look she gave him. It was one of pity that sat sour in his stomach. 

"Hey, Sig, are you doing alright?"

He shrugged in response. He could say yes, pass it off as nothing, but this was too big a nothing. But he couldn't just say-

"I'm a little lonely." 

Sig paused. It wasn't often words could just go straight from his head to his mouth like that. He hadn't meant to voice his concerns aloud, but he just had.

Raffina looked similarly baffled, but only for a moment. She was, after all, a master of keeping up her refined air. "Well how about I go get some of the friends who came to visit?"

"Did-" Sig stopped himself. As much as he wanted to ask if Amitie came, he didn't want to seem ungrateful for his other friends arriving. So he continued instead with, "did many come?"

"Oh, a lot did! Though some are making sure Amitie gets some rest in the next room. You don't want to know how many of us it took to pry her out of here!" 

Raffina noted his relief, thankful for the way she worded it. In truth it had taken only Ringo to get Amitie to leave. From what she'd overheard, Sig had pulled away from and looked at Amitie with such absolute fear just before the nurses rushed in to sedate him. It had broken Amitie's poor heart.

Hopefully if she could distract Sig with other friends long enough, Amitie could pull herself together. It wasn't Raffina's best plan, but Risukuma's plan was to pour potions onto Sig's arm until it grew back, so…

Sig nodded in relieved understanding and Raffina held open the door. "Two at a time, we don't want to overwhelm him!"

“Hey Sig, ★” A familiar voice filled the space as Maguro came in. “Are you feeling alright? We brought some water. ★” 

“And some soup too!” Ringo nodded her thanks to Raffina as she closed the door. “The nurses said to keep you hydrated so you heal up fast.”

“Thank you.” Sig sat up and took the water from Maguro, sipping it slowly. He wanted to drink all of it in an instant, but didn’t want to make things worse. While he did so, Ringo pulled up a little table that sat neatly over his lap and laid the soup out for him. 

While the two didn’t seem to mind him taking his time, Sig did notice them keep sharing looks, or at least he noticed Ringo glancing to Maguro and his body language changing a little. If he was honest, he didn’t really know Maguro or Ringo well enough to read them. He made a mental note to try and hang out more with them. Sure, all he really had in common with them was a love for Puyo battles, but apparently that was enough for them to come visit him here. It felt nice.

“Sig?” Ringo asked as he put down his water, finally tired of the quiet, “You don’t have to answer, but I’m curious. What happened?”

Sig shrugged. “Lost my arm.”

“You did more than misplace it-ow! ★” Maguro rubbed his arm that Ringo had lightly jabbed. 

“Schezo wanted it.” Sig said simply, picking up the spoon to try some of the soup. There were little puyo shapes in it that cheered him up some in the face of these questions. “Now he has it.”

“He took your whole arm,” Maguro said without his signature charm. It was one thing to hear a friend got hurt, but to piece together that someone still had...

Ringo gave Maguro a pat to the shoulder and nodded to the door, giving him an out. This was something she wanted to know for her own curiosity, and to better help both Sig and Amitie come to terms with this. She wouldn’t make Maguro stay and talk gruesome details if he didn’t want to. 

“Hey, I know hydration is key, but do you want a chocolate from the vending machine? ★” Maguro asked, back to his smiling self. 

“Yes, please.” Sig responded, not looking up from his soup. He missed Amitie. For some reason seeing those two know each other so well made him miss her.

He blinked at the red puyo shape he’d picked up alone from his soup, feeling his eyes misting over. He felt a little selfish, wanting his best friend despite the fact his other friends were here for him. 

Ringo noted the little not-ghost behind Sig looking sad before she noticed his tears forming. It didn’t take a genius to put together what he could be sad about with a red puyo on his spoon.

“Sig, we’re going to be sure Schezo never bothers you again, ok?” Ringo played dumb, not bringing up Amitie in case he asked to see her. Amitie wasn’t ready to see him yet.

“He won’t.” Sig said, dropping the spoon back into the soup bowl and looking to her. “He only cared about my red hand. At least he let me keep my bugs.”

Ringo followed his gaze to the now brown-stained bag that lay on a chair in the room. The part not stained was a familiar blue. “Can you tell me what happened?”

…

“You heard Ringo, you can see Sig when you can give me a sincere smile. One I believe.” Arle said, crossing her arms in an attempt to look strong. 

“She also said you could track down Schezo once I’m ok, so let’s just-”   
“GU!” Carbuncle glared at her from where he sat on Amitie’s lap (a rare honor for anyone besides Arle).

“Carby’s right, as much as I’d like to decapitate the creeper who did this, you’re our first priority.”

“ _ Sig _ should be our first priority, Arle!” Amitie made a frustrated noise, leaning back against her chair. It wasn’t a very comfortable chair, and her nervous energy made her want to run. It was only the little yellow guy’s soft form and Arle’s worried gaze that kept her trapped.

“He’s doing fine, I promise.” Arle put a hand on Amitie’s, waiting for her to pull away in frustration. When she didn’t, she gave it a small squeeze.

“Could we go on a walk?” Amitie asked quietly, relenting her need to be close to Sig for the first time in 48 hours. Her friends might be right, she needed some time to process this and to quell her unending guilt. “Maybe find Sig a new bug?”

“I think he’d like that.” Arle smiled, relief once again donning her face. She didn’t think she’d be able to take it if anything truly took Amitie’s smile. That and Ringo might kill her if she let that happen.


	4. Princes and Power

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey look it's Ocean Prince! Here to save the day with his royal cuteness!   
> And here's Sig, only now bringing up something important because of insects.  
> Oh and here's how Schezo's doing.

Sig didn’t expect the words to run as freely as they did, “Schezo chased me all day, then made his cape into a bag to replace my arm as the home for my bugs.” He nodded to the makeshift bag in the chair. “I told him that we’d need food to get them to relocate, and I tried to take as long as possible so he’d give up. I thought…”

Ringo noticed Sig’s face drop guiltily as he paused. She didn’t want to stop him if he was going to say more, but she didn’t know how exactly to comfort him if this was a bad thought to go down.

Sig looked at her, meeting Ringo’s gaze with an empty expression. “I thought he was nice and wouldn’t do it.”

Ringo felt wholly inadequate in that moment, wanting to comfort her friend but afraid to push any boundaries. Would a hand on his shoulder suffice? Would a hug be welcome in his condition? What words could she even say to reassure him? If she said that Schezo was the worst, it would make him feel worse for trusting the man not to hurt him. If she said Schezo seemed better than that, would that make it sting worse?

Thankfully, a loud voice from the hallway distracted them both. 

“SUCH INSOLENCE! Why are you not holding the door for me and announcing my royal arrival?” 

The door slammed open, a familiar pink fish with a crown standing behind it.

“O-ocean Prince?” Ringo stuttered in surprise.

“Not the best heralding of my arrival, but I will take it. I have heard tale my humble servant was harmed!”

Sig blinked a little, wondering how news could have traveled so far as to reach the Ocean Prince. It was honestly touching that he had even come to check on him.

“Your prince has also put much royal thought into a get-well gift and retrieved the MOST un-scrumptious bug of all.” The pink fish pulled out a very small fish bowl half filled with water. On top of it was a rapidly spinning couple beetles.

“Whirligigs!” Sig sat up more rapidly, his expression full of amazement and excitement until it was soured by the pain of moving so fast. Still, he didn’t let the pain stop his smile. 

“You caught him bugs?” Ringo asked, genuinely surprised. She’d never thought the Ocean Prince would do something so… selfless? 

“Of course! My servant deserves to be treated well! Now, why is he not being fixed? He is my servant and he needs to be cured post-haste!”

Sig was a bit too enraptured by the spinning beetles to be perturbed by the small argument that ensued. He’d seen them on trips around ponds and streams but never been able to catch one. They spun and moved so fast, but never once hit one another. He thought he counted three of them.

“They’ve fixed as much as they can-”

“He’s missing an arm. That won’t do for my royal servant, get his arm back.”

“We don’t know where Schezo went with it. And I don’t know if it’s medically or magically possible to re-attach it after all this time if I’m honest-”

“Insolence! Do you defy your prince?”

“We want our friend healthy first and foremost!”

“Hey guys?” Sig cut in, “My left eye isn’t working and I want to see the whirligigs better.”

“...What? Did you just lose sight out of it?” Ringo looked to him with worry dripping from her voice.

“No, I lost it when I lost my arm.” Sig said as if it was obvious. His eye didn’t feel any different, he could still move it and everything, he just couldn’t see out of it. It didn’t bother him like missing an arm did, at least not until now that he wanted to get a better look at his new bug friends.

“Why didn’t you say anything?! Sig that’s not good! I know your left eye turned blue but-”

“It’s blue?”

“Yes, my servant now doth have two ocean colored eyes! Which is fitting, but if one is not working, it must be fixed! I shall go inform the staff!” Ocean Prince announced with a flourish, scampering off.

Ringo fumbled through her bag, pulling out a small compact mirror Raffina had given her at one point. She pulled it out and let Sig look at himself through the mirror.

The face staring back at him looked ghastly. Heavy lines of tears and under eye bags pointed straight towards his matching blue irises. There was nothing different about his left eye and he understood now why no one knew of his impairment there. 

“I don’t like it.” He said, once again voicing it far too easy for his liking. “My eyes matching.”

“It is a lot different from your usual look, I will say.” Ringo was still lost as to how he could just… not mention being half blind. “But I think more pressing is the blindness.”

“Yeah, I want to see my new friends.” Ringo huffed out a half-laugh at that. Sig’s priorities never changed.

…

What was he even doing. This was a hand, an ARM! It was a BODY PART!!!

“Ok, ok, breathe. You just stole this from a child who you last heard wailing in anguish who might now be dead thanks to the attack, but also might NOT be dead. You’re a dark magician who does what needs to be done to gain power.”

Schezo really wanted the words to assuage his worry and guilt, but it didn’t. Someone might be dead because of him, sure, but this someone had not been attacking him. This someone had dragged him along on a bit of a misadventure and shown him a gentle aspect of his personality that made him feel… parental? Custodial? No, preposterous. 

But as Schezo grabbed the arm again, looking it over, he couldn’t help but think of the one it was once attached to. Sig. Someone with a name, someone with a life ahead of them and a bunch of friends and no cruel intent beyond getting someone to stop chasing them.

Sig’s mournful goodbyes to his bug family replayed in Schezo’s mind. What would happen to all those beloved insects if Sig died of blood loss back there? Not that he cared about bugs, but the kid did. Did he really go through all the trouble to rid the arm of bugs… just so he could get this decaying red flesh? That he couldn’t even figure out how to use besides as a slightly red night-light?

Schezo threw the arm away in disgust, running his hands down his face. What was he even doing? He was going to be hunted mercilessly now by Arle and her gang whether Sig had survived or not. He was going to die because some stupid kid gave off an impossibly strong aura that now wouldn’t even work!

_ Yes, I can work with this. _

“Huh?” He swore he heard a voice just then.

_ To sever me from my weak host with such a powerful blade… _

Schezo turned to the red arm, unsheathing his blade. The red aura felt stronger than before the moment his blade came out. It felt like it was resonating with his cursed blade.

_ Yes, such strength. You will release me and receive power… _

Power sounded good, but at what cost? “What will it cost me?”

_ Nothing but your needless guilt. Come, let me take away that pesky emotion so you can be stronger than any magician ever dreamed. _

Schezo wasn’t sure he should, but it called to him. The promise of power in exchange for some emotion he would gladly be rid of? While it sounded too good to be true, he was desperate. The anguished cry still replayed in his ears, louder and louder.

Until he took a step towards the arm. The cry sounded further away, drowned out by the drone of his blade resonating with the red aura. The closer he walked, the more the cry was drowned out, the more he could forget the worry and pity and dreadful guilt. It was so intoxicating, the freedom of it all.

_ You truly are a suitable host. _

Schezo was free, more free than he’d ever been in his life. He flexed a red claw he didn’t remember having a moment ago, but the change didn’t perturb him. 

For some reason his heart was racing and he felt a little queasy, but mostly he felt powerful, vindicated. His sword pulsed a dark maroon that felt right in his clawed hand. 

A sickening grin spread across his face.  _ Strengthen me. Strengthen me.  _ “Strengthen me, give me the power of your sword and set me-”

“SCHEZO I’M GOING TO CUT YOUR HEAD OFF!!!” 

“GUUUU!!!”


	5. Dragons and Darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's backtrack a little. Draco says some interesting things, Lidelle is shy but supportive, and Rulue gets interrupted a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for a mildly OOC Draco, I only have so many cutscenes to piece together a personality from and I just wanted her to have a serious moment.
> 
> I made this chapter really fast so writer's block couldn't find me, please enjoy but know future chapters will be better!

"H-hi Sig,” Lidelle peeked in. Sig had been left alone to rest a little after speaking with the doctor. Raffina had taken over for Ringo when she’d gotten there, letting the crowd of worried friends know about his condition, but it was still such a shock to actually see him with two blue eyes.

“Hi.” He sat up a little, noticing a chocolate bar on his table. Oh yeah, Maguro did say he’d get him one. Sig made a mental note to thank him later.

“Big Sis and I wanted to see if you were ok.” Lidelle said, moving to his bedside shyly. It was only then he noticed the dragon-girl entering. 

“Big Sis…?” Sig asked, looking between his friend and Draco. They did look alike with hair color and all. “You two are-”

“No, but she’s following in my footsteps, so she’s my little sis.” Draco said, looking over his bandaged area. Most had the politeness to at least pretend not to stare.

Sig fidgeted a little, not fond of the attention directed at his wound. 

“You were burned.” Draco said. It wasn’t a question.

“Sis, please…” Lidelle saw Sig’s eyes widen in a bit of fear. 

“I know fire magic, and you reek of it. I thought that girl said his arm was cut off?” 

Sig gripped the sheets of his bed tightly. Just breathe, just breathe. In and out, don’t let the tears fall even though they’re forming. Just breathe.

“Sig…” Lidelle put a hand on his bed, close to his hand but not touching. 

“Thank you for coming but please go. I do not…” Sig squeezed his eyes shut. “I do not want to talk about it.” 

“We’ll go, sorry Sig.” Lidelle hurried to push Draco out the door, but the half dragon stood her ground.

“Someone cauterized it, didn’t they? The doctors would have had to use more anti-flame magic on you if it was a deep wound.” Draco stared at Sig. She didn’t know him, but she knew wounds caused by fire magic inside and out.

“Please…” Sig sobbed and Lidelle pushed harder, but Draco remained.

She felt she had to do this. It was better he blame a dragon he didn’t know than a friend he did. “Fire magic comes from the heart. For you to reek of it when it was only done to cauterize the wound, it must also have recovery magic in there too.”

Everyone stopped. Lidelle stopped pushing, and Sig opened his blue eyes wide. 

“What?”

“Fire is heat, and heat is just speed. Whoever cauterized your wounds seems to have also accelerated your body’s healing process. That’s a technique I didn’t know humans could pull off.” Draco said, stepping towards the door. “I’m sorry I upset you, but you deserve to know why your wounds hurt worse than they should.”

“Wait.” Sig wiped at his tears. “Wait please.”

Lidelle looked conflicted, looking between Draco and Sig. She didn’t like how Draco made Sig cry and wanted to make her leave in case it happened again, but…

Draco looked out the window, letting him compose himself without feeling pressured or stared at. She regretted being so nosy at first, but smelling such strong fire magic had made her worried they were dealing with something so much stronger. While still worrying that a human had discovered such a strong spell, it was good to know it wasn’t being used maliciously.

She also knew that watching him cry might get her crying, and she didn’t look as cute when crying.

“It was Amitie.” Sig said softly. “She saved me. It hurt so much and I’m scared.”

Draco approached the end of the bed quietly, meeting his gaze.

“Recovery magic comes straight from the heart. It is painful, but its purpose is never pain.” She stretched her wings out. “Just as I am strong, but it is only a byproduct of my beauty!”

Sig smiled softly at her antics, but mostly at the relief flooding him. It came from the heart. Amitie saved him with a spell strong enough to wow a half-dragon. The pain was there not because she was a fire mage with deadly strength, but because she was a healing mage with a big heart.

“Thank you, that does make me feel better.”

“I’m so glad, Sig.” Lidelle said, smiling at him. He smiled back and patted her hand a little. “

“I’m sorry again, Sig, please rest up.” Draco said, taking her leave. Lidelle followed after her with a small nod from Sig that he was ok.

Sig looked back to his new bug friends. He really wanted to name them Whirl, Lee, and Gig, but couldn’t tell them apart very easily. At least it gave him something to do in the interim of friends visiting. He thought one looked the tiniest bit darker than the others, now that they had settled down some. 

“Hi Gig. Be nice to your brothers, ok?”

…

If there was one thing Amitie knew with all her heart, it was her friends. She knew how to read them, she knew how to trust in them, and she usually knew what they intended to do. Which is why she knew full well that this trip for “bug catching” was not just conveniently headed towards a certain cave. Arle wasn’t being quiet so as not to scare the bugs off.

Carby’s determined face put aside any doubt in that, but Amitie was all for this and would play along. 

“Who dares disturb the beautiful Rulue in her training ground??” So much for quiet.

Arle turned to Rulue, pointing her bug net at her with a glare almost uncharacteristically harsh of her. “Not the time, Rulue.”

“You’re right, it-”

“Have you seen Schezo?” Arle interrupted, not concealing her anger in the slightest.

“Why would I have-”

“Ok, let’s go.” Arle continued on towards the cave, fully dismissing Rulue’s momentary bewilderment. 

“How DARE YOU!! To belittle a QUEEN!” Rulue was red in anger, but Amitie got in between the two fired up girls. 

“Sorry, sorry, but Schezo nearly killed Sig and we’re trying to find him.” Amitie said, holding her hands up for emphasis.

"And decapitate him." Arle muttered under her breath, arms folded a little ways ahead.

"I always knew he was a jerk with no respect for my beloved prince, but to think he'd hurt that peaceful little bug-lover??" Rulue looked fired up.

Amitie coughed to hide a chuckle. To think Sig made such an impression on everyone that even Rulue would get fired up? She'd have to tell him how much he meant to everyone when she got back.

"So are you coming too?" Arle asked, a hint of herself coming back through the blinding rage. 

"Yes, I think a couple extra knees to the gut will help get the message across better."

Amitie felt a sweatdrop forming. They were bonding over violence and she really couldn't blame them. With the amount of times that the idea of burning all of Schezo's hair off popped into her brain, she'd be a hypocrite to say anything.

The sky was a bloody red sea of clouds by the time they found his cave, slowly dissolving into the dark embrace of night as the trio entered...

  
  
  



	6. Caligo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's check in on how Schezo's doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for implied suicidal inclinations. 
> 
> Also this chapter introduces somewhat of an OC/re-imagined characterization of a Madou Monogatari character and links together what little I know of the MM plots from the wiki. This character will be relevant to the rest of the plot, so I apologize if this isn't your cup of tea.

The reddened hues of a setting sun burned only a little way into the cave before being drowned out in the ocean colored crystals that adorned its inner walls. Magic that typically pulsed in calming waves as if the cave longed for a bygone era now felt dormant. They still shed light, casting endless shadows on everyone who entered, but there was the feeling it was holding back. It was eerie, like something lay hidden, waiting.

No, holding its breath.

“The magic is different.” Arle noted quietly, pressing a hand to one of the crystals they passed. It didn’t seem to change, but if anything that made the girl look even more nervous.

The cave was a gentle decline downward to a central area, one Schezo typically took residence in. There were a handful of ways out, but this was the only entrance that had the glowing crystals to match the main chamber. 

“-rengthen me. Give me the power-” That was Schezo’s voice, echoing softly from below.

Arle took off at a sprint, bursting into the large area with a yell of absolute rage.

“SCHEZO I’M GOING TO CUT YOUR HEAD OFF!” A sound followed with Carbuncle’s agreement. 

The magic stones sparked to life, as if awoken by the prospect of a battle. Amitie saw the stones she scrambled past glowing white in perfect circles that moved upwards. Like bubbles? It was strange, and she wished she understood the meaning behind it but couldn’t focus when she knew her friend was in a rage and likely to get hurt. 

Rulue beat her to the bottom level of the cave and Amitie walked in on a tense scene. In the very center of the near-circular area stood Schezo. His eyes blazed a bloody red and his arm shone a similar vibrant color that extended into the familiar shape of a claw. In said tightly gripped claw lay his usual sword, glowing a deep purple rather than the usual pitch black. 

“So, you’ve come.” Schezo’s face was neutral, his body language and voice giving away not even a hint of surprise or emotion.

“You absolute ruinous creeper, you’ve done it this time!” Arle spat at him, unfazed by his differences in her anger.

“I have, have I?” His eyes looked a darker red for a moment. “Maybe this time you'll allow me to stay dead?" 

"I don't care what nonsense you're saying, prepare to-" Rulue's surprise attack was cut short by a lightning fast movement of his blade. Thankfully her knee hit the broad side, but she knew he could have easily turned it…

"Prepare to defend myself from unprompted attacks? Sure."

"Y-you stole Sig's arm! We have every right to attack you!" Amitie called out, still a little unnerved. He really hadn't attacked them yet, and she'd feel bad making the first move.

"You have it all wrong." There were the darker eyes again, accompanied by a red aura. "I stole this vile, guilt-ridden excuse for a man."

Amitie froze as eyes all too familiar met hers.

"This time, no care or friendship will stop me from eradicating this soul and taking my rightful place as the ruler of this world!"

"No…" Arle took a step back.

"Heh. To act as if you, of all people, care when you have twice in forgotten pasts killed this 'Schezo'. When you arrived with only the thought of decapitation. Again." 

"All I'm hearing is 'beat me up more', you jerk!" This time Rulue's kick from the other knee landed right on his side.

His sword was at the ready an instant too late, but Not-Schezo's face turned vengeful. "That is the last strike your miserable existence will ever succeed at!"

The bubbling lights danced as the two clashed, Arle standing back with Amitie, each caught up in their own thoughts…

For Amitie, she thought of the ruins, of calling out for Sig with everything she had. He'd returned to her, to them all, because of his strong heart. Even then, it had been a close call.

She wasn't close with Schezo, and if she was honest, Amitie wasn't sure if anyone was. She didn't have a power nullifying potion of a single clue how to reach out to Schezo.

Did she even want to, given how he'd hurt Sig?

As for Arle, she was left reeling. She had nightmares sometimes of dungeons and fighting impossibly powerful creatures. Schezo was there a lot, usually as her enemy that died by her hand, but once taking a blow so she and others could escape. They were just dreams, though. Only dreams.

So why did Schezo have an ugly scar the whole way around his neck? She had never seen it before, but it had always been hidden by the top of the cape he usually wore.

She remembered her dream where she caused it. She remembered every ounce of pressure and magic that she put into the attack. 

Arle gently sat down, shaking. Carby was with her, trying to calm her down, but all she could do was try and remember those dreams, those nightmares, those… those memories.

She reached out to the wall to pull herself up, both physically and emotionally, when she heard a particularly hard hit from the battle going on. The moment she touched the faux-bubbling crystal, relief flooded her.

The magic coursed through her, in and out without any resistance. It was like she could feel the world spinning. It was vast and deep, this magic, and it was not hers to hold. It was an ocean, showing her just how expansive all of magic, no, all of reality was.

In a small way it was humbling, grounding. Real or not, those dreams or memories did not change how she felt right now. And right now she wanted Schezo back so she could yell at him!

Amitie turned to see her friend taking a deep breath as a cool blue glow enveloped her. It vanished quickly as Arle opened her eyes with determination.

"We've gotta help him." They said at the same time.

"And make him apologize to Sig!"

"And then burn his hair off."

"Wait what?" Arle shook her head, laughing. 

"Apology is a better idea…"

"Oh no, I'm all for both."

  
  


…

  
  


Schezo felt like he was in a dream, removed from himself. It was nice, not having to worry, not having to feel, not having to care. At least until a familiar shape came into being.

“Runelord. I won’t become like you.” He spewed the words like acid, noting that his emotions were returning in his rage.

“You already have, successor~” Red eyes stared at him, a wicked smile beaming at him. “Haven’t you noticed your insatiable lust for power? And your eyes? They’re turning red from that arm’s influence. In time your hair will grow longer and you’ll be my spitting image.”

“No. No I…”

The man’s gaze softened along with his tone, giving the impression it was another person entirely. “It’s easier to give in, to lose hope in yourself. To define yourself as evil for fear the guilt of your wrongdoings will destroy you.”

“Stop it!”

Schezo watched as the man’s hair shortened in front of him, his clothes changed, and finally, staring back was his own self, except younger with bags under his eyes. This was how he remembered seeing himself in that mirror ages ago.

“You promised we’d never become like the Runelord. You promised. That’s why I stuck with you all these years.” It was strange seeing a stern gaze from a younger version of himself. “Now choose. Will you fight this? Will you try to make good on your promise even if it means facing your guilt?”

Schezo looked down.

_ Well isn’t this cute? You really believe in this wretched creeper? He’s irredeemable and he knows it. _

“He didn’t say no," Schezo heard his own voice say harshly to what he dubbed the red voice. Schezo’s younger image disappeared in a cloud of black. “Stay strong, Schezo, I will find help.”

…

  
  


It only took a single moment of hesitation, but it worked. Rulue's knee to the pommel of the blade shouldn't have made his grip that weak, but she didn't let the surprise slow her assault. After all, Schezo still had magic and a sharp red claw at his disposal.

...

Amitie watched, feeling helpless. The corrupted man's gloating had gotten to her and Arle. As determined as they were to help, it was immediately obvious that even getting close was impossible. Rulue was the best at close range and he was besting her at every step.

At least until he dropped the sword. Immediately the dark maroon, almost purple color returned to its usual pure black. It called out to her.

When Arle smartly made the move to kick it further away from the fight, it… floated? It drifted over to Amitie, handle first.

She didn't want to mess with a cursed weapon, but when it dropped to the ground in front of her, weakly trying to float again and failing, it looked so desperate. It needed help.

The second she touched it, a voice boomed in her head.

"You  **_WILL NOT_ ** wield me. You are to carry me to the one called Sig. That is the terms of our agreement, do you accept?"

"Um. Ok?" She asked, a bit jumpy at the declaration.

"Thank you. My magic would hinder your growth as a magician." The voice softened a lot in her head. It actually sounded like Schezo, but a little more nasally.

"Did you get trapped in your sword like Klug did in his book, Schezo?!"

"What? No. Yes but no. No, I'm not Schezo, yes I'm something trapped in this sword. All that matters right now is helping my friend before that demon completely erases him."

Well didn't that sound familiar?

"And you need Sig for that?" She looked over to Arle, who was watching her have a one-sided conversation with a sword. She doubted it would even make the top five weirdest moments Arle had seen.

"Yes. That demon is preying on Schezo's guilt right now. Seeing that the one he attacked is still alive is the only emotional advantage we might have."

"And his heart might be strong enough to fight it off?" Amitie asked, remembering Lemres’s words. If that’s how Sig had bested that demon, surely-

"No."

"What?!" 

"If the three of you beat him into submission right now and tore off the arm, as he is right now he would let himself bleed out." The sword sounded… defeatedly sad.

"He. What?"

"Amitie, what is it saying?" Arle asked while ushering her friend further from the battle that was turning more vicious by the minute.

"He says Schezo has a weak heart and his guilt over this might kill him if we don't get Sig." Amitie tried to summarize, part of her hoping the sword didn’t mind being called a he.

"Amitie, listen to yourself!" Arle said, "You're trusting Schezo's sword that we should bring Sig to his attacker who currently  _ has his arm???" _

"Please… please, I will beg if I must. He has done irreversible harm, but doesn't he deserve a chance at working towards forgiveness?" The sword sounded so distraught and genuine...

"The sword just doesn't want him to die."

"Amitie, give me the-" Arle paused as she reached for the blade, the black flame stinging her skin even from a couple inches away.

"Swordy, don't-"

“We are bound by a contract, Amitie. You are to bring me to Sig. I am no demon, I cannot bend his will nor yours. But I will not leave your hand until our contract has come to completion.” 

“And if Sig doesn’t want anything to do with you?” Amitie glared at the blade, trying with all her might to let it go. The most she could do was swap it to her other hand. She couldn’t drop it.

“Then I will find somewhere to grieve.” The voice said simply. 

Against all logic, Amitie held the sword flat to her chest and gave it the best approximation of a hug she could.

“It’s ok Swordy, we’ll help!”

“Amitie that sword bit me and you’re hugging it.” Arle shook her head and huffed out a confused laugh, “care to explain what’s up?”

“Swordy-”

“-If I must have a name, I would prefer Caligo. It means dark in an ancient tongue.”

“-Oh, sorry: Caligo,” She motioned to the sword as Arle only looked more bewildered, “says that he just wants to talk with Sig but will leave us alone if Sig doesn’t want to help.”

“Ok, but if this thing tries to double-cross us, I’m chucking it into a volcano.” Arle looked to the exit, but then looked back at the fight. Rulue was showing just the slightest signs of fatigue. “Carby, I want you to go with Amitie. If that sword tries to hurt her, destroy it, ok?” 

“GU!” Carbuncle nodded.

“Whatever happens, I’ll get help.” Amitie said, pulling Arle into a quick side-hug. She didn’t want the sword anywhere near her friend again. “Make sure you and Rulue stay safe!”

“Of course!” With that, Arle ran back to the fight and Carbuncle hopped up onto Amitie’s back. 

Amitie didn’t look back, instead steeling herself to face what she’d been running from all day. This wasn’t what she’d wanted to bring back as an apology to Sig for the pain she’d caused him. She’d wanted to bring him back a bug, something happy and unrelated to his injury. 

But in truth, as much as she was afraid of seeing him, of him turning away or fearing her or never speaking to her again… she missed him. She missed her best friend. She missed his heartbeat, his warmth, she missed his voice and his eyes (even if they were now both blue). She wanted to know he was alive, even if it meant him never wanting to be her friend again.

She cared about him too much. She loved him.


	7. Potions and Puyo, Agony and Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's check in on EVERYONE at once. Most are doing just fine, one in particular might not be doing fine.

Sig wasn’t sure how much time he’d spent in the little room. He couldn’t see the sun from his window, but from the colors on the clouds he could tell it was getting close to sunset. He hadn’t seen the sunset yesterday, he’d been too busy passed out from blood loss. It was nice to know he’d see more of them. Since he was alive.

He took a breath, holding it a little. He was alive. He breathed out. He’d survived.

Looking back to the sky that twinged just the slightest bit pink, he heard the door creak the way he now associated with Ringo. She always opened it so slow as if she’d catch him doing something bad. It was kinda silly.

“Hey, Sig, more visitors!” Ringo said.

“I didn’t know I knew this many people.” He half-joked, giving a little smile. Ringo returned it as she held the door open for a blond blur. 

“I have SO many potions for you to try! This one can grow your arm back but might turn you into a frog first, this one can make you grow wings which are clearly better than arms, this one-”

“Witch, please slow down! How many potions did you bring?” Ringo put herself between Sig and Witch before Sig could even realize he’d stopped breathing.

And he was gripping where his arm should be.

It took him a second to process that he associated this person, or more accurately this person’s potions, with disaster. The last thing he needed now was another catastrophe.

“I’ll get him to try the potions when he’s ready, ok?” Ringo casually started walking towards Witch, trying to get her to back up. Witch wasn’t having it.

“Oh but they’re all perfectly good to go now and I need to document-”

“I’ll write down how well each work after, please LEAVE.” With that, Ringo all but tossed Witch out the door and locked it. 

Sig took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let out a large sigh of relief.

“Sorry about that, I’m sure she means well but…” 

“Yeah I’m not using any of those.” Sig said, looking to the tray of six colorful potions sitting on the small table beside him. Even that felt too close.

“Fair enough.”

The two took a minute to breathe in relief, but soon a strange shadow fell over the doorway. It condensed around the door handle to the point it looked completely black. With a click, the door was unlocked.

“Am I really going to have to throw her out again?” Ringo sighed.

“Unlock is a dark spell, I don’t think she uses that element.” Sig said, thinking of three dark mages off the top of his head who could be using that spell.

“The stars decree that I be allowed entry.” Feli said, entering the room in her usual ominous tone and flourish. For all the normality, she looked a little bit less put-together. Her hair had some uncharacteristic snarls, she looked almost out of breath for a moment, and she was looking at him with… less intensity than usual. It was obvious when she looked to Ringo and the intensity returned.

“More like your spell unlocked the door…” Ringo said with a small laugh. 

“Begone, I wish to speak with the injured. He deserves to know of the future paths left ahead.”

Ringo looked to Sig, who just shrugged. He didn’t seem to mind, so she took her leave. 

“Call if she starts whacking at you with those dowsing rods, ok?”

“I will!” Sig said, turning his full attention to his friend. She was his friend, right?

“Do you care to know what the stars have in store for you?”

Sig shook his head. He had some hope that if he said no, only good things would come to pass? Ignorance is bliss and all that.

“You reject my predictions?!” Feli looked angry.

“Uh… yes?” Sig gulped, ready to call out for Ringo if she really was going to start hitting him.

“I challenge you to Puyo Puyo then! For an apology in the form of those potions!”

Sig wasn’t sure what the potions had to do with anything, but he welcomed the familiarity of a puyo battle. He could just have fun with it, take his time building stacks and stairs. There was no threat to life or limb if he lost, and in all actuality he didn’t mind losing. It was a nice contrast to the last time he’d played, fighting for the life of the bugs he truly cared about.

“It was written in the stars!” Sig barely registered losing until he heard her say those words. They came out kinder than usual.

She wasted no time taking the tray of potions from his table and starting for the door.

“Hey, Feli?” 

“Hm?” She didn’t turn around, but she did stop.

“Thank you. And I’m sorry for not listening to your prophecy.” 

“The stars told me you wouldn’t.”

“So you just wanted to play Puyo with me?” Sig smiled as she ran out the door, only hearing some muttering about averting catastrophes or something. His friends really did care about him, even if some were a bit hesitant to say it aloud. 

It was reassuring beyond belief to know that it wasn’t only the louder, more outgoing friends that cared enough to come see him. He had so many friends.

…

_What a pity your sword is gone. I could have gotten so much stronger with it, but no matter. It has a pesky soul, and I’ll admit it’s easier to deal with one at a time._

The soul in question lingered there, adrift in a void of calm nothingness. It felt lonely, as if something, some part of it had left, and with it, the memory of who it had once been. The soul felt weak, powerless, fading.

But the… the thing it was missing… something, no, someone had told it… him… to stay strong.

_Why aren’t you gone yet? Are you really still holding on?_

“...Yes.” He didn’t sound confident or strong, but he was a little more present. He… Schezo, yes, Schezo was his name. He came back to himself a little. He wasn’t powerful enough to take back control and didn’t try. But he refused to simply cease to exist.

_You want so badly to exist? HERE!_

In a blur, he felt flung forward without any sense of movement. The existence of a real body came to him, but before he could form a celebratory thought, he saw it.

The glint of steel. The merciless expression. The certainty of fate that hung like heavy fog in the air.

An all too familiar blade reached his neck.

…

Klug grumbled at Sig's bedside, his face torn in guilt "I knew that weirdo couldn’t be trusted! He asked me where you were and even before he yelled, I knew he was up to no good!"

"It's not anyone's fault he found me, Klug." Sig said, meeting his gaze just so his friend would finally stop focusing on his bandaged shoulder. He didn't like causing others to feel guilty. "If anything I thank you for stalling him."

"I didn't really intend to, honestly. He just saw me fighting with… hey wait, my book…" Klug pulled out the book ever at his side, the tome remaining ordinary and unresponsive.

  
"Huh?" Sig looked between the book and Klug, not understanding what his weird book had to do with anything.

"My book. When you ran past me the other day it went haywire. But now it isn’t. Huh." Klug turned it over in his hands, flipped through a few pages, but it just remained a normal book.

"That’s because the other half isn’t with him anymore.” Lemres said from the doorway. When he'd gotten there, neither boy knew, but it was unsettling. It was unsettling mainly because the jolly candy-making Comet Warlock… was frowning.

…

Arle had just managed to get the upper hand on the corrupted Schezo, finally quieting his annoying attempts at manipulating her emotions. She thought she was winning, but refused to let hope take hold until the battle was truly won. 

She saw an opening and took it without a second’s delay. He always blocked her every slash, every opportunity she took was just a means of getting him to back up rather than advance on her and the exhausted Rulue. She didn’t think it would go through, not for a moment.

But it did.

She saw him hesitate and look to her in absolute fear, his eyes returning to their usual blue. She couldn’t stop her arm in time. She could already see the blood in her mind’s eye.

With a thunk, her blade hit something.

It didn’t cut through, however. Instead, as she steadied herself, she noted a blue glow around his neck, the same as the crystals lighting their fight. Had the cave itself… saved him? Why?

Schezo fell to his knees, shuddering and gasping for air. Panic set in so abruptly he couldn’t think about anything but gasping for air and hugging himself in a desperate attempt to stay together. He had to remind himself he was still alive and in one piece, that he wasn’t dead. 

Tears welled in his eyes, unbidden. He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to die. 

“Please…” That was all he could get out between his gasps turned sobs. 

_Hush now, don’t you see? There’s no mercy out here for you. Only suffering and death. Now go back where you’re safe and quiet, ok?_

Schezo saw a figure approaching him slowly. Arle. Through his teary eyes he couldn’t make out her face.

_Let me help you. You don’t want to die to her again, do you?_

Maybe she wasn’t going to hurt him. Maybe she wanted to help. But maybe she didn’t and was coming to finish him off. He didn’t want to die, so he hid in the only way he could.

_Good, now stay there. As appreciation for showing me that this cave has claimed you as its own, I might not force you to fade away as fast. We’ll see._

…

“So, Swordy!” 

“Caligo.” 

“So, Caligo, why are you a talking sword?” Amitie asked, casting a little fire spell to light her lantern. It was hard, but thankfully not impossible to do with one hand. 

“Because I’m a soul inside of a sword.”

“Okay, and why are you a soul inside of a sword?” She looked at the sword, weighing the consequences of trying to balance the lantern on the blade of her new talking friend. It would leave her hand free, but can swords be uncomfy?

“I don’t really remember…” The voice sounded sad. “I remember a… a longing to help someone.” 

“Really?” Amitie carefully ran the sword through the large ring on top of the lantern, holding it on her wrist like a fairly heavy bracelet as she listened. “Who?”

“Someone important. Someone who was my family. Beyond that, I can’t recall, I just know I came into existence because of someone’s desire to help a family member.”

“Someone cursed a sword to help a family member?” 

“What do you define as ‘cursed’?”

“Uh… you? An evil uh… ok maybe you aren’t evil but. I mean-”

The voice in her head chuckled lightly as she stumbled both over her words and a wary branch. “I am cursed, but it isn’t because I’m evil. No, I’m cursed because my effects are permanent. Bonding with me changes the innate magic element you’re linked to.”

“WHAT?” She tried to let go with all her might, to drop the sword immediately. She only succeeded at prying her pinky away.

“Please don’t be alarmed, I won’t affect you! Our bond is surface level. It was why I was so adamant that you not wield me.”

“Oh.” Amitie stopped, patting the alarmed Carbunkle who looked prepared to eat the sword any second now. “Oh is that why you said you’d ‘hinder my growth as a mage’ or something?”

“Precisely. You look very settled in your two elements.”

“Two?” She was only a fire mage as far as she knew...

“Gugu gu!” 

“Oh hey, we’re here! Uh… Caligo?”

“Hm?”

“How exactly am I supposed to explain why I’m bringing a sword into a hospital?” She passed the sword from hand to hand nervously.

“No idea. Good luck!”


	8. Arguments and Artifacts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just bring the sword to Sig, easy enough. Except he's in a hospital. Also there are people in the way who might not want you to bring a sword into a hospital. Amitie has a bit of a time getting in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no see! Updates might still be sporadic, but they are still coming!  
> This one is short and leaves a lot of unanswered questions, so please let me know which are bugging you most. I might answer some next chapter if you ask~  
> Please enjoy!

“Raffina, you really should rest. Ringo is watching him.” Lidelle said, trying to tug her friend up from the chair she was sitting in. That wasn’t a comfortable place to sleep.

“I can’t. Lidelle, I can’t.” She shook her head sleepily. “When I sleep I imagine him not making it. I remember Amitie and Sig covered in blood and… And now Amitie is out there, what if he goes after her?”

“Arle went with her. Everyone’s going to be ok.” Lidelle kneeled in front of her friend, catching her gaze away from the floor. “You’ve done a lot, it’s ok to rest.”

“It isn’t. Lidelle what if he comes back to finish the job? What if-”

“-No more what ifs.” Lidelle said sharply. Her expression quickly softened when Raffina looked taken aback. “Right now, you need-”

“Wait, is that-” Raffina stood up quickly, her head spinning a little as she leaned on her friend and the chair for support. “Amitie?”

...

"So, can you change to be smaller? Or invisible?"

"No."

"But you said you have dark magic! Dark has all SORTS of concealing spells."

"That it does."

"And shapeshifting too, though I've heard that's more of nature's area. Illusions, though!"

"No."

"Why noooooot?!" Amitie whined, tilting her head back to grumble at the night sky about her frustrations. Caligo was being the most unhelpful telepathic sword that had ever been stuck in her hand. Sure, he was the first to ever fit that description, but she was entirely sure that if this were to happen again, the next sword would be far more cooperative.

"It's what you want to happen. And because we are tentatively linked, I cannot cast spells that you want me to cast. Because that counts as you wielding me." Caligo explained.

"Which makes me into a dark mage and I'd suffer from MisMagic Fatigue, ugh." She sighed defeatedly. There really was no way around bringing this sword into a hospital. At night. Like the world’s strangest criminal ever.

"Gu gugu gu gugugu gu!" Carbuncle said helpfully in a tone she thought sounded supportive.

"You're right, Carby. Whatever you just said, I'm going to assume it means 'no time like the present'!" Amitie walked out of the woods finally, "Besides, who would ever think that I'd want to hurt Sig?"

"Gu!!" He nodded in agreement.

"So we aren't scaling the building, then?" Caligo asked, a small hint of amusement to his voice.

"No, that'd be suspisciou-Oh! Hey Raffina! Hey Lidelle!"

“Don’t you ‘Hey’ me! Why are you bringing a  _ sword _ in here!?” Raffina asked, looking far too exhausted to be as angry as she looked.

“I have to, it-”

“Amitie… that’s a cursed artifact. Is it holding you against your will?” Lidelle asked, stepping in between Raffina and Amitie. She looked… confident? No, brave. That was the face of someone afraid for another and determined to put it right.

“I. Uh. No but kinda? Not that I-” Amitie stammered and tried to move her hands in front of her in a way of appeasement, but forgot she still had a sword in one. Not the best move for de-escalating the situation.

Lidelle rolled up her long sleeves, revealing tons of little trinkets stowed along its fabric. She grabbed one quickly, and it seemingly unravelled, distorting in ways matter never should, until it became a large black chain with two handles on either end. 

“Amitie, if you’re in control, drop the sword now.” Lidelle spoke slow and carefully, the way one might speak to a lion they fully expect to pounce.

“Lidelle.” Raffina let out the name in baffled surprise. She wasn’t sure she’d ever heard her friend so determined, but then… she’d also never seen what was up her sleeves, quite literally.

“I can’t. Lidelle, it’s fine I just! AGH!” Amitie let out a pained yelp as her friend’s weapon wrapped around the sword. The dark gray flames that sprouted up almost in self defense were repulsed by the chain and ended up hurting her hand.

“Sorry! I don’t mean t-” The voice in her head cut out suddenly and the sword in her hand felt almost… almost empty. 

“NO!” Amitie tugged the sword back with all her might, nearly falling over when she got it free of the chain. “Caligo. Caligo please, please be ok! I won’t call you Swordy ever again if you just say something!” 

As Amitie pleaded with the sword, Lidelle took a hesitant step forward, only to be stopped by Carbuncle. 

“GU!!!”

“Lidelle, let’s hear what she has to say, ok? I think this is normal Amitie weirdness, not possessed weird.”

"Not until that cursed-" Lidelle stopped herself upon seeing genuine tears well up in Amitie's eyes. 

"Please, please wake up. Caligo, you wanted to save him, didn't you? You can't do that if you're s… sleeping." 

Raffina approached Amitie cautiously but was quickly wrapped in a hug as her sniffling friend tried her best not to cry.

"It's temporary." Lidelle said, unable to approach the two due to a very grumpy yellow creature. "The silencing chains don't last long after losing contact. You promise it's not controlling you?"

Amitie pulled away just as Raffina had groggily remembered she was capable and allowed to hug back. She huffed a little.

"I promise. He just wanted me to take him to Sig. And that if Sig doesn't want him around, he'll leave us all alone."

"A cursed artifact is that considerate? What does the sword want with Sig?" Raffina asked, giving Lidelle a quick look that said quite clearly  _ I'm asking you questions later _ .

"He wants Sig to… help. Schezo got corrupted by Sig's arm and we need his help to set things right." Amitie tried very hard to word things in a way that her friends would accept. They wouldn't care if she said Schezo's life was on the line. She wasn't sure she would either if she hadn't heard Caligo's desperation in her head.

Speaking of…

"Amitie?" The voice in her head was soft but there.

Amitie hugged the sword again, relief flooding her. Sue her, she got attached really easily.

"Thank you for not letting go. You could have." Caligo said, gratitude dripping through the tone. "That was… scary."

"You successfully scared a cursed sword." Amitie said, looking to Lidelle. It was partly a joke, but she still held the blade to her protectively.

"Sorry Amitie… I…" Lidelle mumbled something, folding up her weapon up as if it were a flat sheet of paper for origami until it was a tiny trinket once more. 

"Go see Sig, I'll get some answers out of her." Raffina said, patting Amitie's shoulder. "But if I hear that sword hurts him, I hurt you."

"Sounds like a deal!" Amitie said with a smile, running off. "Caligo and I forgive you, Lidelle."

**Author's Note:**

> If my many unfinished works are any indicator, I will likely burn myself out of writing this fairly quickly. I am grateful for any and all comments, but if you really want to get me going on a new chapter, give me theories. Give me headcanons. Maybe go look me up on Tumblr under the same name and pterodactyl screech at me? All are good and welcome!


End file.
